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United States Patent | 6,175,789 |
Beckert ,   et al. | January 16, 2001 |
A vehicle computer system has a housing sized to be mounted in a vehicle dashboard or other appropriate location. A computer is mounted within the housing and executes an open platform, multi-tasking operating system. The computer runs multiple applications on the operating system, including both vehicle-related applications (e.g., vehicle security application, vehicle diagnostics application, communications application, etc.) and non-vehicle-related applications (e.g., entertainment application, word processing, etc.). The applications may be supplied by the vehicle manufacturer and/or by the vehicle user.
Inventors: | Beckert; Richard D. (Lake Stevens, WA); Moeller; Mark M. (Bellingtham, WA); Wong; William S. (Redmond, WA) |
Assignee: | Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, WA) |
Appl. No.: | 394360 |
Filed: | September 10, 1999 |
Current U.S. Class: | 701/33; 248/27.1; 340/825.25; 361/679; 361/683; 361/731; 361/814; 455/346; 455/348; 701/1 |
Intern'l Class: | G06F 007/00; G01M 017/00 |
Field of Search: | 701/1,29,33 340/815.41,436,438,439,461,825.25 455/456,345,348 370/522,476,537 361/814,679,728,747,683,686,600,729,730,731 248/27.1,27.3,551 |
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